Nina Dimitrieff
20th-century Russian-American opera singer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nina Dimitrieff (born 1880s – died after 1952), also seen as Nina Dmitrieff and later as Nina Massell, was a Russian soprano singer, active in the United States after 1910.
Early life
Nina Dmitrieff self-reported as being born in Saint Petersburg in August 1881 or 1882, to Pheophan Dimitrieff and Baroness Alexandria Von Russell.[1][2][3]
She was described in publicity as "daughter of the famous Russian general Pheophan Dimitrieff", and educated at Smolny Convent in Saint Petersburg, where she was a schoolmate of Elena of Montenegro.[4][5]
Career
Dimitrieff made her American debut[6] as Margarita in The Damnation of Faust at the 1910 Worcester Music Festival.[7] In that same year, the New York Times opined that "Her voice is not notable for fine quality, being, in fact, somewhat hard and unyielding; nor is she equally successful in many different styles of songs."[8]
In 1911, she sang in California with other Russian musicians,[9] and sang at concert conducted by Leopold Stokowski,[5] and sang at a fundraiser for tuberculosis prevention in Pittsburgh.[10] In 1913 Dimitrieff sang at "Verdi Night" at the May Festival of the Albany Musical Association,[11] and gave a joint recital with Russian cellist Vladimir Dubinsky at New York's Aeolian Hall.[12]
She returned to Aeolian Hall with a recital of Russian traditional songs in 1916, at which she also wore Russian costumes and gave a lecture on the history of Russian church music and folksongs.[13][14] Also in 1916, she and other Russian artists including Mischa Levitzki, Anna Pavlova, and a balalaika orchestra performed at a benefit in Connecticut, for Russian prisoners of war.[15]
Dimitrieff made several recordings for the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1916.[16] Later in life, she taught voice classes, and accompanied other concert performers on piano.[17]
Personal life
Nina Dimitrieff married Jacob (James) Massell, a voice teacher and writer, in New York in June 1910.[1][3][18] They continued living in New York through at least 1920.[19] She was widowed when he died in 1948 in The Bronx.[20][21] She was still alive to renew the copyright on her husband's book, To Sing or Not to Sing, in 1953.
